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Ahead of a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing on April 26, 2023, a reporter watches the CCTV evening news reporting Chinese President Xi Jinping having a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
| Photo Credit: AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that China has “always stood on the side of peace”, state media reported on April 26.
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“On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace and its core position is to promote peace talks,” CCTV reported Mr. Xi as saying during a phone call.
Mr. Xi Jinping told Mr. Zelenskyy that his government will send a peace envoy to Ukraine and other nations, state media said, after Beijing said it wants to act as mediator in Russia’s war with the country.
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A government statement reported by state TV gave no indication whether the Chinese envoy would visit Russia.
“China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” the statement said.
It made no mention of Russia or President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
“There is no winner in a nuclear war,” the statement warned.
China has tried to appear neutral in the war but has refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion.
Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin issued a joint statement before the February 2020 attack saying their governments had a “no limits friendship.”
Mr. Xi’s government released a peace proposal in February and called for a cease-fire and talks.
“Negotiation is the only viable way out,” state TV said in a report on Mr. Xi’s comments to Mr. Zelenskyy.
“There is no winner in a nuclear war,” the report said. “All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis.”
Xi-Zelensky call was ‘initiated by the Ukrainian side’
Wednesday’s telephone call between Mr. Xi and his Ukrainian counterpart was initiated by Kyiv, Beijing said.
Asked during a press conference about the discussions, Yu Jun from China’s foreign ministry said “The call was initiated by the Ukrainian side”.
France says backs ‘all dialogue’ after Xi-Zelensky call
France said it backed all dialogue towards ending the conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after Mr. Xi held telephone talks with the Ukrainian leader.
France “encourages all dialogue” that can “contribute to a resolution of the conflict” that is “in line with the fundamental interests of Kyiv” and international law, said a French presidential official, asking not to be named.
The official emphasised that this was the message “taken by the president [Emmanuel Macron] during his visit to China” earlier this month, when the French leader also raised ire over remarks he made relating to Taiwan.
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